Multiple strand fourdrinier wire



June 30, 1942. w. E. BUCHANAN 2,283,512

MULTIPLE STRAND FOURDRINIER WIRES Filed June 5, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG-i 1O H]! [El j [E] HT] [U] [W g E 3 2 FL [El [U11 Z T ID [U I g m1 m T41 rm rm EUIU TIU [U] LU] FIG-Z 11 l' 4o 7 1o INVENTOR WITNESSES WILLIAM E- BUCHANAN ATTORNEY I June 30, 1942.

W. E. BUCHANAN MULTIPLE STRAND FOURDRINIER WIRES Filed June -5, 1959 FIG.4-

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG i0 yTNEsSES FIG. 11 5O INVENTOR WILLIAM E. BUCHANAN lqTT RA/E Patented June 30, 1942 -UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE MULTIPLE STRAND rommmmsa wms William E. Buchanan, Appleton, Wis., assignor to Appleton Wire Works, Inc., Appleton, Wis. a

corporation of \Wisconsin Application June 5, 1939, Serial No. 377,483 4 Claims. (01. 139-425) This invention relates to woven wire fabrics and more particularly to wire belts", for use on paper-making machines of the Fourdrinier type.

The life of a Fourdrinier wire belt is limited by various factors, such as attritional wear by passage of the belt over the rolls, suction boxes and other parts of the Fourdrinier machine, cracking of the wire fabric by repeated bending and other causes, and corrosion of the fabric. During the weaving operation the component wires may be subject to cracking or crystallization by the crimping of the wires. Fourdrinier wire fabrics are commonly made with-wires of relatively soft metals, such as brass or phosphor bronze, which permit satisfactory weaving, but which are deficient in wear-resisting qualities and under some conditions are subject to corrosion.

From the standpoint of resisting wear and cor rosion, it would be desirable to use wires of variout other materials, such as stainless steel and certain nickel alloys, for example, Monel metal. Wires of these materials, however, are subject to crystallization and cracking during weaving and by the bending they undergo on,

the Fourdrinier machine. In the case of nickel alloys, this bending would tend to harden the material because of the work-hardening properties of nickel.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved Fourdrinier wire fabric in corporating multiple strand wires to minimize crystallization and cracking of the wires, to permit deep crimping, and to enable the use of a wide choice of wire materials, such as stainless steel and nickel alloys, for increasing the strength and durability of the fabric.

Another object of the invention is to provide a Fourdrinier wire fabric in which the multiple strand wires are formed of component elements or strands of different materials.

A further object is to provide a Fourdrinier wire fabric embodying a multiple strand wire which consists of wire elements or strands arranged one within another, thus facilitating the bending of the composite wire while permitting the use of different materials for these parts,

such as a hard wear-resisting material for the outer part and a soft and flexible material for the inner part.

' Still another object is to provide a wire fabric in which the component warp and weft members I are firmly locked in position so as to avoid sleazi- HESS.

A still further object is to provide a wire fab- Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view, taken generally along the line t-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken generally along the line 3----& of Fig. 1;

.Fig. 4 is a plan view, similar to Fig. 1, of a modified form of wire fabric;

mg. 5 is a transverse sectional view, taken generally along the line 5--5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken generally along the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view of one of the warp members of the fabric of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view of another form of warp member similar to that of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view of still another modified form of warp member: 7

Fig. 10 is a plan view, similar to Fig. 1, of another modifled form of wire fabric, the fabric being of the plain weave type;

Fig. 11 is a transverse sectional view, taken generally along the line |lH of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a plan view, similar to Fig. 1, showing still another modified form of wire fabric, and

Fig. 13 is a transverse sectional view, taken generally along the line |3--l3 of Fig. 12.

The Fourdrinier wire fabric illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings comprises warp members in interwoven with weft members I I, a length of the woven fabric being formed into a belt for weave type in which each warp member pass s under two and over one weft member. However, plain weave and other weaves may be used.

The upwardly crimped knuckles of the warp and weft members lie approximately in a common plane andpresent a paper-forming surface, the weft knuckles being elongated. The downwardly crimped elongated knuckles of the warp members present wearing surfaces and preferably extend below the downwardly crimped knuckles of the weft wires.

During the weaving operation, the cable-forming warp members become widened and flattened at the intersections with the weft wires. The weft wires passing over the elongated bottom warp knuckles tend to become indented'therein, as seen in Fig. 3, thus preventing lateral shifting of the weft wires. The flexibility of the warp members permits deep crimping without danger of fracture or crystallization. The hollow weft wires are also capable of deep crimping without damage, and during weaving become widened and flattened at their intersections with the warp members. The elongated top knuckles of the weft wires are indented at their lower surfaces by the warp members, as seen in Fig. 2, thus: preventing lateral shifting of the warp members.

The flattening of the warp and weft members is. more or less confined to the intersections of these porting surfaces of the paper-making machine and avoids danger of crystallization and cracking.

of the warp Some or all of the component wires ID of each warp member are preferably formed of a strong, hard, durable, wear-resisting material, such as stainless steel or certain nickel alloys, for example, mone metal, thus increasing the useful life of the fabric. Solid warp wires of these metals are not satisfactory, because of the likelihood of damagefduring'weaving and the danger of fatigue-induced crackingduring the repeated bending of the fabric on the paper-making ma- 1,.tchine-" However, theselobjectionsare obviated by making the warp members of multiple wires, mgthe small'thickness .of. which enables them to withstand the bending.

The use of stranded wirespermits considerable latitude in the'make-up of the fabric to suit the requirements of individual paper-making machines. Where one or more but not all of the individual wires or strands of each composite wire are formed of relatively hard metals having superior wear-resisting qualities, the remaining individual wires or strands of the ordinary soft metals cooperate therewith to furnish the required bulk and to provide the. necessary pulpsupporting surfaces. The presence ofv the hard metal wires or filaments in the warp" members provides sumcient firmness or impressionability to form locking shoulders during weaving so as to avoid sleaziness of the fabric, even though the fabric is made in twill weave. In some cases the weft wires may also be made of special metals to improve the wear-resisting and corrosion-resisting qualities of the fabric, the thin walls of the tubularweft wires permitting theuse of harder metals than would otherwise be possible.

While Fig. 1 shows all the warp members to be stranded it is sufflcient in some instances to intersperse stranded wear-resistant warp members among solid warp wires, the latter wires in such event being made of the usual relatively soft materials such as brass and phosphor bronze.

The modified form of twill weave fabric illustrated in Figs. 4 to 7 comprises warp members 20 interwoven with weft members 2|, the latter being in the form of tubular wires as in the fabric of Fig. 1. Each warp member consists of a core 22 surrounded by a tubular easing or sheath 23, thus providing a composite wire resembling a solid wire but having better bending characteristics. The core is preferably formed of a single solid wire of relatively soft metal such as brass or phosphor bronze, while the casing or' sheath is preferab1y formed of a tubular wire element or strand of harder and more durable metal such as stainless steel or monel metal,

' the thinness of the .casing walls permitting crimping and bending of this metal without danger of damage. The core and easing are capable of a slight relative slipping with respect to each other when they are subjected to bending. The casing not only resists wear but also encloses and protects the core, which might otherwise be subject to damage, as by corrosion. The warp and weft members possess sufiicient firmness to form locking shoulders during weaving, so as to avoid sleaziness of the fabric.

Fig. 8 shows a modified form of warp member s long dimension of the cross-section of jthifwarp member extends parallel to the surface plane of the fabric.

Composite warp members of the type shown in Figs. 7 to 9 are similar in external, configuration to warp members of the single-wire or'solid-wire type and will. have less tendency to mark the paper than twisted or braided cable-type warp members.

Figs. 10 and '11 Show another modified form of wire fabric having interwoven warp and weft members and 5l, respectively, each warp member being formed of a pair of parallel wires '52 and 53 and each weft member being asolid wire. The fabric is here indicated to beofplain weave but it may also be made in twill weave. One or bot-h'of the wires 52 and 53 of each warp member are formed of a hard durable metal such as "stainless steel or mon'el metal.

The modified twill weavefabric shown in Figs. 12 and 13 comprises interwoven warpand weft members and 6|, respectively, each'warp member consisting of a plurality of wires 62 and each weft member consisting of a plurality of wires 63. Some or all of the wires 62 and 63 are formed of a hard wear-resisting metaPsuchas stainless steel or monel metal. The fabric of Figs. 12 and 13 is otherwisethe same .as that" of Fig. 1.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by:

Letters Patent is:

This can be made by si- Y 1. A wire fabric for paper-making machines, comprising interwoven warp and weft wires, at least some of said wires each comprising a core of relatively soft metal and a surrounding casing oi harder metal.

2. A woven wire fabric for paper-making machines, comprising interwoven warp and weft members, a substantial proportion of said members being each composed of a casing wire and a core wire arranged within said casing wire.

3. A woven wire fabric for paper-making machines, comprising interwoven warp and weft members, a substantial proportion of said memrelatively soft metal 4. A wov'en wire fabric for paper-making machines, comprising interwoven warp and weft members, a substantial proportion of said members being each composed of a core wire and a casing of a strip of corrosion-resisting metal surrounding said core wire.

WIILIAM E. BUCHANAN.

wear-resistant surfacing for 

